Demi Lovato Breaks Her Silence Almost 2 Weeks After Being Hospitalized For Overdose

Kim Wong-Shing is a staff writer at LittleThings. Her work spans beauty, wellness, pop culture, identity, food, and other topics. She is a contributing writer at NaturallyCurly, and her work has also appeared in HelloGiggles, Lifehacker, Wear Your Voice Magazine, and other outlets. She grew up in Philadelphia, attended Brown University, and is now based in New Orleans.

Demi Lovato broke her silence for the first time since her alleged drug overdose last month. The 25-year-old singer released a statement on Sunday, opening up about her continued struggle with addiction. Demi also thanked her family, fans, team, and the hospital staff at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for their support.

“I have always been transparent about my journey with addiction,” Demi’s statement began. “What I’ve learned is that this illness is not something that disappears or fades with time.”

“I want to thank God for keeping me alive and well,” Demi continued. “To my fans, I am forever grateful for all of your love and support throughout this past week and beyond.”

“I need time to heal and focus on my sobriety and road to recovery. The love you have all shown me will never be forgotten and I look forward to the day where I can say I came out the other side. I will keep fighting.”

Two weeks ago, Demi was reportedly rushed to the hospital after an apparent drug overdose. TMZ reports that paramedics administered Narcan, an emergency treatment for narcotic overdoses, to Demi at her house in Hollywood Hills before rushing her to the hospital. However, there’s been no confirmation of which specific drugs were involved.

Demi has been transparent about her struggles with cocaine and alcohol in the past. She first tried cocaine when she was 17 years old and working at the Disney Channel.

After six years of sobriety, Demi appeared to relapse earlier this year. She released a single on the subject, “Sober,” in June. She will reportedly go back to rehab as soon as she leaves the hospital.